Major League Soccer and the entire American soccer community today mourns the loss of Los Angeles Galaxy President and General Manager Doug Hamilton following the news of his passing Thursday evening.
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of the leaders of American soccer and a truly terrific individual," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "The thoughts and prayers of all of MLS, our teams, our players and our fans are with the Hamilton family. Doug will be dearly missed as his legacy of passion and dedication to the sport will always be remembered."
Hamilton was in Costa Rica with the Galaxy for the return leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal series against Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica. The match was played on Wednesday and Hamilton was scheduled to return to the United States on Thursday while the team remained in Costa Rica for preseason training.
The three-time MLS Executive of the Year took the helm of the Galaxy in the 2002 season after two years with the Miami Fusion. He led the Galaxy to its first two MLS Cup championships (2002, 2005) and a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophy (2005), while overseeing the opening of the Galaxy's home since 2003 -- The Home Depot Center.
Hamilton is survived by his wife Paige and his son Aedan.
